Faculty Collaboration Database

Acute cellular rejection and the subsequent development of allograft vasculopathy after cardiac transplantation. J Heart Lung Transplant 2009 Apr;28(4):320-7

Date

04/01/2009

Pubmed ID

19332257

DOI

10.1016/j.healun.2009.01.006

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-62949130657 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   132 Citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is primarily immune-mediated. We investigated the role of cellular rejection in CAV development.

METHODS: The study comprised 252 cardiac transplant recipients (mean age, 49.02 +/- 17.05 years; mean follow-up, 7.61 +/- 4.49 years). Total rejection score (TRS) based on the 2004 International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation R grading system (0R = 0, 1R = 1, 2R = 2, 3R = 3) and any rejection score (ARS; calculated as 0R = 0, 1R = 1, 2R = 1; 3R = 1, or the number of rejections of any grade) were normalized for the total number of biopsy specimens. CAV was defined as coronary stenosis of 40% or more and/or distal pruning of secondary side branches. Thirty-two patients had undergone 3-dimensional intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) at baseline and with virtual histology (VH) IVUS at 24 months.

RESULTS: In univariate analysis, 6-month TRS (hazard ratio [HR], 1.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.99-3.90, p = 0.05) and ARS (HR, 2.22; 95% CI, 1.01-4.95; p = 0.047) were associated with increased risk of CAV. In multivariate analysis, 6-month TRS (HR, 2.84; 95% CI, 1.44-6.91, p = 0.02) was significantly associated with increased risk of CAV onset. The 12- and 24-month rejection scores were not risk factors for the onset of CAV. By Kaplan-Meier analysis, 6-month TRS exceeding 0.3 was associated with a significantly shorter time to CAV onset (p = 0.018). There was direct correlation (r = 0.44, p = 0.012) between TRS at 6 months and the percentage of necrotic core demonstrated by VH-IVUS at 24 months.

CONCLUSION: Recurrent cellular rejection has a cumulative effect on the onset of CAV. The mechanism may be due to increased inflammation resulting in increased plaque burden suggesting a relationship between the immune basis of cellular rejection and CAV.

Author List

Raichlin E, Edwards BS, Kremers WK, Clavell AL, Rodeheffer RJ, Frantz RP, Pereira NL, Daly RC, McGregor CG, Lerman A, Kushwaha SS

Author

Eugenia Raichlin MD Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Acute Disease
Adult
Aged
Analysis of Variance
Biopsy
Confidence Intervals
Coronary Angiography
Coronary Stenosis
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Graft Rejection
Heart Transplantation
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Proportional Hazards Models
Recurrence
Retrospective Studies
Time Factors
Tissue Donors
Transplantation, Homologous